One of the most humbling, OK let’s be real – it was actually humiliating, experiences of my entire life was starting the Walk Like Warriors Instagram page from literally zero followers. For two or three months, I showed up in stories and posted every single day with less than 40 followers. No lie, I think the first few months I gained like one or two followers a month, even though I was being really consistent and creating some good content.
Facing Frustration and Embarrassment
Was it frustrating? Yes. But more so than that, it was embarrassing. I worried about what people might be saying behind my back, that certain family members were laughing at me. I worried about what my followers would think. Did I even know what I was talking about if I didn’t have a large following?
A few months into building the page, I even did Instagram Lives on Fridays every Friday for a month or two. More often than not, I was on there alone, just talking to myself. Or someone would join for 5 seconds and then leave. Oof. Superrrr awkward. And I can joke about it now, but truly, it was really hard. It felt like no matter what I did or how hard I worked, nothing was happening. Nothing made a difference.
Struggling with Control and Doubt
And to be honest, I wasn’t used to that in business! I was used to what I could control. I was used to hard work = success. And social media growth just felt totally outside my control. Have you ever felt like that? Admittedly, there were times on the IG Lives where I could feel the tears pricking my eyes. I could feel a lump in my throat. I had to talk myself out of crying. (And I’m not a crier by nature.) But I always felt so exposed and so vulnerable. At times I questioned why I was even doing it. Did I think about quitting? Yep. But I didn’t. And this is why…
Gamifying Instagram: A New Approach
The only way I was able to keep going was because I gamified Instagram. What does that mean? I made it a game … a little sport I created for myself before I would allow myself to quit. Here’s what I did: I told myself that if I reached 1000 posts and didn’t have at least 1000 followers, I would be allowed to quit Instagram and never do it again. It wouldn’t really be quitting because I made the rule and worked to 1K posts so it would be OK to close up shop.
Focusing on What I Could Control
Essentially, I made a goal I could control (how many posts) instead of a goal I couldn’t directly control (growth). It might sound weird, but what it did was remove all the emotions from it. Every post that got only one like—and keeping it superrrr real, that one like was from my husband—moved me ever closer to my goal of 1000 posts. Deep down inside, I knew that if I did 1000 posts, there was likely no way I wouldn’t reach 1000 followers if I was producing great content and showing up every day.
But a game? Well, it took a lot of the emotion out of it. It made it feel like posting was just another item on my to-do list (instead of an indicator of my worth). I was able to keep my head down and just keep going. One thing led to another, and the page began to grow pretty steadily around month five or six. I was able to leave a lucrative career I’d built for myself as a fractional Director of Operations just a few months in.
From Humble Beginnings to a Thriving Community
Today? Well, people can look at the Cinderella story of a multi five-figure month just a few months later (even then I think I only had around 400 followers). When I guest on podcasts, they always want to talk about that epic launch I had with like 10 people on my newsletter list.
What they don’t see is the 150-day slog before that. Waking up and having to force myself to go into Instagram stories, even though I felt both embarrassed and humiliated. They didn’t see the IG Lives where I was in there talking to myself. But those were some of the biggest growing moments for me as an entrepreneur.
Building Grit and Community
It produced a LOT more grit in me. It helped me focus on just helping that ONE person on social media—instead of talking to the masses. It helped me to be able to look at the reels going viral, realize they weren’t the type of content I was interested in producing, and just put my head down and keep doing the work.
And the best benefit is that it allowed me to build a really tight-knit community, bit by bit, one beautiful entrepreneurial soul at a time. Never seeing any of them as a number. It’s a gift to see each person, know their name, and know their business.
Today, I have a fear of going viral. Of waking up to 50K new followers. That doesn’t sound appealing to me at all—a whole bunch of people who don’t know me, who don’t have a relationship with me. They’re just there because they saw a viral reel? No. Too much work. And it sounds like the fastest road to a disengaged, cold audience instead of a warm, vibrant, hyper-engaged community.
I promise you, slow and steady can be the best thing for your business.
Sweet entrepreneur, I see you. If you’re growing slow and steady, I promise you, it can lead to the business you once only dreamed of. Please don’t ever give up. View this small corner of the internet as your chance to allow God to make you more gritty and to learn to love people really, really well.
I’m cheering for you.
Are you a small business owner overwhelmed by stress and disorganization, craving practical tools and coaching to help your business thrive? Check out The Success Squad!
Disclaimer: While Kelly is a certified business coach this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as financial advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace legal or financial advice. Always check with your own legal or financial team before trying or implementing any information read here. As an Amazon Associate Kelly also earns from qualifying purchases.
